Page 32 of Chasing Football Dreams

By now her whole squad was looking at us trying like me to figure out what her deal was with me. More than half looked at her as if they wanted her to stop.

“What are you talking about?” I couldn’t understand her obsession with me.

“You took Duncan from me,” She almost sneered at me.

I looked at her if she was missing her brain or if she was really this delusional. “You lost him before you ever had him,”

Her laugh was anything but friendly. “You are oblivious or just dumb. He was in love with you the moment he saw you. He could barely tear his eyes away from you fast enough for me to see,”

“Wait,” I stared at her. “You hate me because Duncan liked me better?” Even her robots were trying to figure out what was happening.

“How is that fair to me? You don’t even know me! You started picking on me for something I didn’t even do! I minded my own damn business until he came up to me,” I clenched my hands into fists next to my sides, controlling the urge not to punch her.

“You could have ended things when you found out!” She pushed me and I almost lost it.

“He didn’t love you. Get over it. I am not fighting with you over a guy,” I shoved her out of my way, blinking in surprise when her squad opened up before me and let me through.

I exit the locker room, letting out a breath wanting to laugh at how pathetic everything turned out. My life was falling apart, and I was barely hanging on. “Zoey,”

I didn’t realize I was clinging to the wall to keep me up. I saw the worried look on Duncan’s face when he came over to check on me. I jerked away when he tried to touch me. I blamed the adrenaline.

“What's wrong?” Duncan asked baffled.

“Nothing,” I bit back of my temper. I could take a bully. I’ve dealt with them my whole life but having to deal with a psychopathic girl who couldn’t get over a boy who wasn't interested in her wasn’t my call for fun.

"Was it Monique?"

"Just let it go," I grumbled.

"Should I talk to her?"

“To have her blame me again?”

“Blame you for what?”

“What do you think?” He stumbled away from me with a look of bewilderment. “She hates me because of you. She's only doing this crap because you picked me over her,” I walked away, feeling the tears but I didn’t care to let them out.

“Zoey?” I dodged Xander and started to run away as fast as my feet could carry me. I ignored everyone calling out to me and just ran and I didn’t stop until I was standing in front of Zoey Martin’s grave.

I read the inscription on her tombstone—the tears flooded my vision. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I couldn’t pretend that I was fine. People pretended to know what I went through. They were saying my name like they knew my circumstances.

“They say I am you,” I said, looking at her—my tombstone. I blinked, wiping a tear away when a drop landed on my cheek. I looked up noticing that it started to rain.

I dropped my gaze. “I don’t know who I am anymore,”

I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around my shoulders and let out the tears I’d been holding for sixteen years.

“Why? Why me?!” I screamed out, the thunder camouflaging the sound of my voice.

Why was this all happening to me? What have I done to deserve this cruel punishment?

“Zoey,”

I didn’t bother to acknowledge Coach Shane. Nothing could humiliate me anymore. My life has been nothing but cruel.

I heard his footsteps crunching over the grass and held an umbrella over me even though it was too late as I was already soaked.

In my peripheral vision, I watched him place sunflowers down on the grave before I felt him dropping a jacket over my shoulders. “What are you doing here?” He asked.

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